Dispensing apparatus



Feb. 23, 1960 a I ,1 f:

I 1 10 I l L5 L. B. PARSONS 2,925,938

DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed April 22, 1957 INVENTOR. LL'M/[LLV/V 5. P/mso/vs ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 2,925,938 DISPENSING APPARATUS Llewellyn B. Parsons, Ridgewood, N.J., assign'or to Lever Brothers Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Maine Application April 22, 1957, Serial No. 654,261.

1 Claim. (Cl. 222-94) The invention generally relates to an improvement in devices for dispensing paste-like materials of different character, and particularly to improvements in devices for dispensing two or more paste-like materials of different color.

When two different colors of paste material, such as tooth paste for example, are packaged within the same tube, as is done for the single-tube type of dispenser for dispensing striped tooth paste, care must be exercised in the selection of coloring dyes in order to prevent bleeding of one color into the other. The present invention contemplates an improvement whereby a wider range of dyes is made available for providing a greater number of colors in producing striped tooth paste particularly with the single-tube type of dispenser.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a means for separating effectively two paste materials packaged within the same container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pliable partition between two paste materials packaged within the same container.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a pliable partition between two pastes of different color to prevent bleeding of one color into the other which partition will permit pressure from one of the pastes to be transmitted readily to the other paste.

Generally, one form of the invention provides a washershaped pliable diaphragm formed of a suitable plastic such as for example sheet or foamed vinyl plastic, polyethylene, polypropylene, or any other suitable material which will resist separation or cracking, as a partition to separate two materials packaged within a single tube. In one embodiment, the partition or diaphragm is substantially circular with a small aperture disposed at approximately the center of the washer. This central aperture permits the diaphragm to be positioned over an extension element which extends from the discharge passageway of a single-tube striped tooth paste dispenser. In a preferred form the diaphragm should offer a minimum of resistance to the pressure transmitted from one material in the container through the diaphragm to the other material such as a diaphragm of a thin pliable material so as to offer negligible resistance. Embodiments of my invention will be described hereinafter in detail.

The invention further resides in certain novel features of parts, and further objects and advantages thereof will become apparent to those skilled' in the art to which it pertains from the following description of the present preferred embodiment thereof described with respect to the accompanying drawing in which similar reference characters represent corresponding parts in the several views, in which:

Figure l is a view partly in section of one construction of a single-tube type of dispenser utilizing the diaphragm of the present invention:

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the partition or diaphragm of the present invention; and

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Figure 3 is a perspective view in section showing the diaphragm deformed as when in use.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawing, the numeral 10 represents a conventional disposable aluminum tube dispensing container of the construction used for dispensing a striped tooth paste product. The forward end of the tube 10 is provided with a sloping portion 11 terminating in a head end 12. A plurality of threads 13 are formed on the head end 12 for securing a cap (not shown).

An extension 17 forms an outlet passageway 14 which is shown as being integrally formed with the head end 12. Of course it is understood that the extension 17 may be a separate element and, as such, may be inserted within a suitable recess formed at the inner end of the head end 12. Also, the shape of the extension 17 ,need not necessarily be circular, it only being necessary that a passageway 14 be formed therethrough.

A washer or diaphragm 18 has an outer dimension which is'substantially the same as the inside dimension of the tube 10 so that it will form a relatively close fit with the inside walls. One construction of this diaphragm is shown in Figure 2 of the drawing. In this form, the diaphragm 18 is substantially circular in shape and is provided with a centrally disposed aperture 19 such that the diaphragm will fit over the tubular extension 17 as shown in Figure 1. The diaphragm 18 may be made of any suitable material such as rubber or one of the plastics such as vinyl plastic, polyethylene, polypropylene, or the like.

With the plastic washer diaphragm 18 in position as 2 shown in Figure 1, the inside of the tube 10 is divided into two separate compartments 15 and 16. When the tube is used to dispense a product such as striped tooth paste, the compartment 16 is filled with the striping material such as, for example, red paste material, and the balance of the tube forming the compartment 15 is filled with the material which is to form the body of the striped product, for example white tooth paste.

When pressure is applied to the tube 10 in the customary manner, the resulting force is transmitted-longitudinally in a forward direction in order to extrude the white tooth paste in the compartment 15 out through the outlet passageway 14. At the same time, force is applied to the pliable diaphragm 18 and transmitted therethrough to the striping paste in the compartment 16. The striping material, in turn, is extruded through the passageways 23 which communicate between the compartment 16 and the outlet passageway 14.

When pressure is applied to the tube 10, the diaphragm 18 will move along the axis of the container and adjust itself to the relative and changing amounts of the different materials in the container. In effect, the diaphragm acts as an adjustable and sensitive boundary. In a zone ofmovement such as is illustrated by the position of the diaphragm in Figure 1, the separating partition or diaphragm may be rigid or stiff to the extent that there is less requirement for adjustment.

In a situation in which the cross sectional area of the container varies or, for example, is cone shaped as illustrated in Figure 3, the outer edge of the pliable diaphragm 18 will be forced by the white tooth paste 24 against the sloping or cone portion 11 of the container. However, since the diaphragm 18 is flexible, the center portion 21 will be displaced downwardly and the inner and outer edges will make suitable adjustments. The diaphragm 18 will continue to transmit the pressure to the striping paste 22 as it moves into the forward end of the tube. As a result of the pressure, striping paste 22 will be extruded through the striping passageways 23 onto the body of the tooth paste.

It will be understood, further, that the particular dias 3. phragm means disclosed is merely exemplary, and that it is susceptible of variation and modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as definedin the appended claim. For example, the diaphragm may be secured to the containerfland'itox the extension, relying entirely upon itspliabilitytotransmit pressure from; one .paste .material to the other; A still further modification of which the invention is susceptible may embody the diaphragm in conjunction with a separate container for holding the striping material. The striping material would be filled. into' the separate container and the. diaphragm attached thereto prior to inserting within the tube. Many other modifications and variations will become apparent to one skilled in the art to which thepresent invention pertains, all ofwhich are Withinthe spiritand scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A. device for dispensing paste-like materials which comprises a hollow; collapsible container. having a tapered end portion terminating in a nozzle havingv a discharge port opening externally I of said container, a tubular member having a smooth,.uninterrupted outer surface extending inwardly from and substantially coaxial with said nozzle and. joined to said'tapered end adjacent to 4 a container, at least one passage extending from said outlet passageway outwardly to the container between said tapered end portion and said tubular member adjacent to the junction thereof; a thin, flexible diaphragm having a peripheral shape fitting said hollow container and slidably mounted on said tubular member in substantially leak-tight relation thereto and lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the tubular References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,639,699 3 Hopkins Aug. 23, 1927 2,789,731 Marrafino Apr. 23, 1957 2,800,254- Dinkelkamp July 23, 1957 

